10 Best Non-Toxic Furniture Brands for the Health Conscious Home

Why Choose Non-Toxic Furniture?

Non-toxic furniture is often inherently higher quality, as it’s made with natural materials that have been strictly regulated for condition and chemical emissions. Therefore, brands focused on providing healthy furniture also pay strict attention to every detail of production to ensure a healthy product and often feature inspiring and eclectic design influences.

Toxic Chemicals in Furniture: What to Look Out For & Effects On Our Health

Conventional furniture uses chemical glues, adhesives, and flame retardants which off-gas into the air and can create a toxic environment, especially inside the home where the air isn’t always well ventilated. To avoid buying this type of furniture, the simplest things to look out for are labels like GreenGuard, OEKO-TEX, GOLS, GOTS, and flame retardant-free. These signify that individual materials have been tested and regulated for chemical emissions, quality, and environmental responsibility. 

But you may be wondering; if there’s a real danger, why is it allowed to be manufactured? The answer is a little shifty to put it lightly. With conventional product design, if a chemical works well, it’s going to be used regardless of whether it’s been tested for safety yet or not. Consequently, many chemicals used in furniture fall into this category. Also, current legislation makes it very difficult to regulate chemicals as a group. For instance, known common carcinogens like PFAs – present in household goods like frying pans and cosmetics – make up a group of over 4,700 substances.

Needless to say, it takes a very long time to test that many chemicals. Not to mention the fact that when presented with a ban on a chemical that they use widely, product brands can shift to using a cousin of the chemical; one closely related and just as toxic, but not yet tested and regulated. 

Formaldehyde in Furniture

What is formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde is a colorless chemical commonly used to create resin adhesives for manufactured woods and furniture. Its properties as an denaturant and preservative make it commonplace within most every household.

Where is formaldehyde found?

Formaldehyde is commonly found in wood products like cabinets, furniture, plywood, and particleboard, as well as household products like cosmetics, permanent-press fabrics, paint, and glue. 

Is formaldehyde bad for you?

Formaldehyde is a chemical carcinogen known to cause irritations of the nose, throat, and mouth after prolonged exposure, and cancers of the respiratory system in severe cases.

Flame Retardants in Furniture

What chemicals are used as flame retardant?

Flame retardant sprays usually use the chemicals chlorine, bromine, or phosphorus. 

Where is flame retardant found?

Flame retardants are most commonly found in furniture foam, insulation, and home textiles like clothing and bedding. 

Is flame retardant bad for you?

Flame retardants are associated with increased risks of cancer and reproductive harm as they contain toxic chemicals that leach into the surrounding environment. These chemicals also possess strong bioaccumulative properties, allowing them to build up in the body system over long periods of time7. In fact, even the chemicals found in flame retardants that have since been phased out due to safety concerns still affect us, because of their persistence in remaining in our environment.

Phthalates in Popular Home Goods

What are phthalates?

Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to increase the flexibility of plastics in product design9. 

Where are phthalates found in the home?

Phthalates are found in thousands of home goods including floor tiles, furniture and car upholstery, carpet backings, toys, shoes, and plastic food packaging. The most common use of phthalates is in the manufacturing of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), the second most common plastic in the world. Part of phthalates’ danger is that it’s so commonplace.

What are phthalate dangers and health concerns?

Phthalates are endocrine disruptors associated with reproductive and developmental issues, and higher risks of cancer. Exposure occurs when phthalates are gradually released into the air from products and inhaled, absorbed through the skin, or otherwise consumed.

Vinyl Acetate in Furniture

What is vinyl acetate?

Vinyl acetate is a colorless liquid chemical used as an intermediate to create polymers and copolymers, which in turn are used in adhesives for paper, wood, glass, metals and porcelain13.

Where is vinyl acetate used in the home?

Vinyl acetate is used in the adhesives of furniture and product packaging, and as a coating on plastic food packaging.

Is vinyl acetate toxic?

There are no studies on the effects of vinyl acetate on humans, so the EPA hasn’t classified it as a carcinogen. Further, the FDA determined that vinyl acetate is safe when used in plastic films for food packaging. However, in a study of rats exposed through the inhalation of vinyl acetate, an increased incidence of nasal cavity tumors was observed, raising questions on it’s potential for toxicity.